Motor heater



MOTGR HEATER James P. Calkins, Fairfield, Mont. Application April 22, 1955, Serial No. 503,117 2 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to improvements in heaters, for such as the cooling systems of internal combustion and more for maintaining a desired temperature of the water in the cooling system during cold weather to prevent freezing thereof and to accelerate the starting action of the engine.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a heater of the character indicated is rugged in design and construction, economical to produce, and extremely efiicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description, forming the specification, and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary and schematic side elevation-a1 view of a heater embodying this invention, as applied to a conventional automotive engine;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the heater of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

With continued reference to the drawings, there is shown a portion of a conventional automotive engine, generally indicated at 10, which includes a radiator 12, a cooling fan 14 driven by a belt 16 in the usual manner, and an engine block 18 provided with the usual cooling jacket receiving coolant fluid from the radiator in a manner well known in the ant.

The illustrated heater, generally indicated prises a lower elongated cylindrical casing 22 defining a coolant fluid chamber 24, and an upper elongated cylindrical housing 26 of smaller diameter than the casing 22, whose interior defines a coolant fluid chamber 28.

A hose connection 30 is clamped adjacent one end by a split ring clamp 32 to an outlet nipple 34 depending from the lower end of the casing 22. A reduced neck 36 rises from the upper end of the casing 22. The other end of the hose 30 is clamped as at 38 to the outlet nipple 40 at the lower end of the motor block 18.

The neck 36 is of hollow cylindrical construction to define a connecting passage 42 communicating at one end with the interior of the casing 22 and has external screw threads 44 adjacent its free end received within the internally threaded opening 46 at the lower end of the upper housing 26. A lateral outlet nipple 48 is formed on one side of the upper housing 26 and extends laterally therefrom and in communication with the chamber 28. A hose 50 is clamped as at 52 and 54, adjacent its opposite ends, upon the outlet nipple 48 and a suitably formed nipple extending outwardly from the motor block 18 above the nipple 40 so as to be in communication with the water jacket of the motor block.

The upper end of the upper housing 26, is provided at 20, com- United States Patent with internal threading 56 to threadingly receive therein the shank 58 of a the outlet nipple 48.

A cylindrical heating tube 62 is dependingly carried by the plug 60 and has its lower end 64 closed. The

portion 68 extending therefrom through the plug 60 and receives therein a cable 70 having wires 72 and 74 therein. The wires 72 and 74 are connected at one end to a suitable electrical heating element 76 of the resistance type contained within the tube 62 and extending longitudinally thereof.

As seen in Figure 2, the tube 62 extends axially through the chambers 28 and 24 and through the neck 36 in spaced relation thereto. The wires 72 and 74 may be connected to a source of electrical energy 77, which may be a battery of the associated automotive vehicle. The wire 72 has interposed therein a manually operable switch 78- whereby the circuit to the heating element 76 to supply the necessary electrical energy thereto for its operation may be opened and closed. Also, wires 80 and 82 may have one end thereof spliced into the wires 72 and 74, respectively, and connected to a pronged plug 84 at their other ends for connection into a convenience be connected to an external source of electrical energy to supply the necessary current for the heating element.

In use, when the vehicle is standing idle, with the motor inoperative, either the switch 78 is closed, or the plug 84 is connected into a source of electrical energy so that the heating element 76 is energized and transmits the heat thereof into the coolant fluid 86 in the chambers 24 and 28. This heats the fluid in the two chambers and since the upper housing is of about one-half the the upper housing acts as perat-ures of 20 F. below zero, the operation of the heater caused the coolant liquid 86 to reach a temperature of from F. to F. in about one and oneplug 60 while'the other elements of the heater remain in place. Also, when it is desired, due to higher seasonal temperatures, to have the heater remain inoperareplace the plug 60 with a solid threaded plug.

It will be noted that the lower end of the radiator is connected through a hose 88 to the engine block 18 while the upper end of the radiator 12 is connected to While there is shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structure is susceptible to change and modification within the practicability of the invention and therefore should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a thermo-syphon heater for an engine cooling system, a vertical casing having a lower end and an upper end, a reduced outlet nipple depending from said lower end and arranged for connection to a part of the cooling system, a reduced neck on the upper end of the casing, a vertical housing having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the housing being secured around the said neck, a lateral outlet nipple on said housing between its upper and lower ends arranged for connection to another part of the cooling system, a plug secured in the upper end of said housing, a heating tube secured to said plug and depending spacedly through said housing, said neck, and said casing, said heating tube havinga closed lower end near to and spaced upwardly from the lower end of the casing, an electrical heating element in and extending along said heating tube, and electrical energizing means 'tr-ansversing said plug and connected to said heating element, said housing be ing substantially smaller in diameter than said casing.

2. In a thermo-syp on heater for an engine cooling system, a vertical casing having a lower end and an upper end, a reduced outlet nipple depending from said lower end and arranged for cooling system, a reduced neck on the upper end of the casing, a vertical housing having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the housing being secured around the said neck, a lateral outlet nipple on said housing between its upper and lower ends arranged for connection to another part of the cooling system, a plug secured in the upper end of said housing, a heating tube secured to said plug and depending spacedly through said housing, said neck, and said casing, said heating tube having a closed lower end near to and spaced upwardly from the lower end of the casing, :an electrical heating element in and extending along said heating tube, and electrical energizing means transversi-ng said plug and connected to said heating element, said housing being substantially smaller in diameter than said casing, said lower end of the housing being threaded on said neck, and said plug being threaded into the upper end of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS connection to a part of the 

